PHOENIX — The debate over short-term rental properties across the Valley is growing louder after another weekend of noisy parties.
People living in a neighborhood near Tatum Boulevard and Bell Road told 12News there was a large party happening at a short-term rental property around the time gunshots could be heard.
Phoenix police said investigators have no leads on a possible shooting that happened in that neighborhood over the weekend.
An attorney for the property management company denied a shooting took place at the home.
The City of Phoenix told 12News the property is an unregistered short-term rental.
The Neighborhood Services Department issued the owner a violation notice after receiving a complaint about activity at the property.
A spokesperson said all short-term rental properties are required to register with the city and provide emergency and complaint contact information.
A woman living nearby said this weekend's activity was just another item on her list of complaints to the city.
“There’s been multiple incidents where sure, if they’re loud or partying during the day, it's one thing, but there’s been fights, there’s been strippers, there’s been just countless things happening," neighbor Sarah Lauterbach said.
Disturbances at short-term rental properties are an issue frustrating people and cities Valley-wide.
“Bullets are flying. There was a major drug bust at one (short-term rental) just a mile from City Hall here in Scottsdale," Mayor David Ortega said. "All of these annoyances have been even more severe, disrupting our families. This is why we are not only asking, we are demanding we get our tranquility back.”
Ortega is asking the legislature to amend state law to give local governments more control over short-term rentals in their communities.
“We are asking for them to remand local control because, after all, we are the ones on the ground having to deal with all this disruption," Ortega said.
Christopher Charles, a Scottsdale attorney who handles cases involving short-term rentals, said most property owners he deals with act responsibly.
"Certainly there is a little bit of the one bad apple spoiling the bunch symptom happening here," Charles said.
Charles said well-drafted short-term rental agreements, technology and responsible property managers are essential in ensuring guests don't break the rules.
“If there’s a violation of the lease because there’s an unauthorized party, unauthorized occupants coming on, they’re exceeding occupant limits, you know, that sort of thing, the lease is terminated, their occupancy is terminated and they have to get out immediately.”
The attorney's advice for neighbors dealing with disturbances at a nearby short-term rental is to have a conversation with the owner or property manager. If that doesn't work, ordinance violations can be reported to the city.
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